Non-destructive testing method for testing a steel reinforced concrete beam

Non-destructive testing method for reinforced concrete, comprising:

• applying, by a transmitting transducer of an ultrasonic tester, ultrasonic pulses to a concrete beam reinforced with steel rods;
• receiving, by a receiving transducer, vibrational waves reflected from the steel rods at a plurality of reading locations along the concrete beam;
• measuring a transit time of the vibrational waves received at each reading location;
• determining a pulse velocity of each vibrational wave received at each reading location;
• determining a highest pulse velocity of the vibrational waves at each reading location;
• comparing the highest pulse velocity of the vibrational waves received at a reading location to a first reference pulse velocity;
• and
• identifying a bond condition of cracking around a steel rod at a testing location when the highest pulse velocity at the testing location is less than the first reference pulse velocity;
• determining a peak load carrying capacity (Ppeak) of the concrete beam by:
• applying a force perpendicular to a center of a length of the concrete beam;
• applying ultrasonic pulses to the concrete beam;
• determining the highest pulse velocity at each reading location;
• increasing a magnitude of the force by equal increments of 10%;
• determining the highest pulse velocity at each reading location for each incremental increase in the magnitude of the force;
• and
• determining the peak load carrying capacity (Ppeak) of the concrete beam when the highest pulse velocity at one of the reading locations is less than a second reference pulse velocity.